On your TV series, Take Home Chef, you go into grocery stores, stop people, ask them what's for dinner, and then offer to come cook for them. Why haven't I been lucky enough to run into you?

Well, you've got the cookbook! It's actually inspired by visiting homes and seeing the reality of people's lives. When you're a professional chef, it's like you live in this bubble. But so many people say they don't have time to cook, or their kitchen is too tiny, they can't find a sharpened knife, they've got kids running around. The whole idea of cooking stresses them — they think of it as this big undertaking that's labor-intensive and that leaves their kitchen and nerves a wreck.

And you want them to relax?

I want them to relax their approach to cooking. Relaxing is a state of mind.

Well, being laid-back comes naturally to you.

I'm an Aussie! For me, the first thing I do is imagine myself at the beach with friends, music, lots of good food. Then I start to get into this state of mind where nothing bothers me. So I look in the cupboard, and I don't have olives? OK, do pickles, do capers. They'll give me a sharp, salty taste, and it'll do for tonight. You need to let go of the perfectionism and just enjoy.

Here's the defining moment: One day I was standing there trying to get an omelet folded over. And I realized there was no good reason for a perfectly folded omelet. I thought, 'Why not just slide it out of the pan open? It will taste the same!' That became my mission for the book: How can I simplify without affecting flavor or texture? A lot of time the answer is with really good cheats.

Cheats?

Shortcuts, whatever you want to call them. For ribs, yes, you can do all of the drama and get them on the grill, and do smoking and mesquite. I just rub them with spices, put them in foil, and pop them in the oven. You still get an amazing result. The whole idea is to de-fancify dishes so that you can make something quick that tastes great, and that people appreciate.

Sounds even easier than takeout.

I've seen so many families rush to get takeout so they can sit down in front of the TV to eat their food. And I say to myself, "People are shoveling it all down without even tasting it."

But there's a chapter called "Something to Eat on the Sofa."

That's part of relaxing! The sofa is one of the best places to enjoy comfort food. But you don't need to do it with takeout. I'd like to see people get back into the kitchen, back to the table, back to actually tasting the food they're eating.

You really are serious about relaxing, aren't you? You even have tips on helping guests get relaxed.

Set the mood with your favorite music and lighted candles. Have a welcoming drink ready for them as soon as they arrive — it makes them feel instantly at home. Let them help out by opening wine or carrying plates and platters to the table. And make sure conversation flows as freely as the drink.

And if the cook just can't get into the relaxation zone?

Then you need to walk over to the fridge and take out a bottle of sauvignon blanc. It'll definitely help put you in my favorite mood.